Does anybody know offhand whether President Obama carried the military vote?

[LaydeeBug]

I thought I heard Stephanie Miller say it, but teh google is not much help.

Am I dreaming?

[jberryhill]

1. There is no way to determine that

There is no "military vote". There are people in the military who vote just like anyone else does - by secret ballot.

Furthermore, it is illegal to conduct polls of active military on the question:

18 USC 596

Whoever, within or without the Armed Forces of the United States, polls any member of such forces, either within or without the United States, either before or after he executes any ballot under any Federal or State law, with reference to his choice of or his vote for any candidate, or states, publishes, or releases any result of any purported poll taken from or among the members of the Armed Forces of the United States or including within it the statement of choice for such candidate or of such votes cast by any member of the Armed Forces of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

The word “poll” means any request for information, verbal or written, which by its language or form of expression requires or implies the necessity of an answer, where the request is made with the intent of compiling the result of the answers obtained, either for the personal use of the person making the request, or for the purpose of reporting the same to any other person, persons, political party, unincorporated association or corporation, or for the purpose of publishing the same orally, by radio, or in written or printed form.


------------

That is why you are not able to find what you are looking for. You are looking for something illegal.

[LaydeeBug]

2. Then how do they know service people are all so right wing?

They've been saying it *forever*

[NYC Liberal]

3. They can poll members of the military, just not specifically about who they are voting for.

Polls about issues and such are fine.

[jberryhill]

5. Who is "they"?

There is no shortage of "they" in this country who say any manner of stupid thing.

"They" also say that black people vote for Obama because they are black.

Okay, so the African American proportion of the general population is roughly 14%.

The African American membership in the US armed forces is roughly 17%. The Army alone is 21%.

So, "they" are going to have to make up their mind whether "blacks voted for Obama" or "people in the military didn't vote for Obama", because there is a greater proportion of blacks in the military than in the general population.

And, btw, Latinos are also over-represented in the military.

[B Calm]

7. I spent six years in the Navy,

and the majority of enlisted men that I encountered were democrats. Officers and lifers on the other hand tended to be more right wing, but not all. The military is no different than the rest of the population.

In civilian life I find the majority of republicans I encounter have never served their country in uniform. Could it be the majority of veterans vote democratic? I think they do!

[Angleae]

9. I doubt it. You were probably just assigned to a base with an unusual demographic.

I spent 8 years in the air force, nearly everyone was a republican (moderate to flaming). Currently I work (civilian) with a whole lot of ex-military (mostly ex-navy) and I can't recall one that is even remotely a democrat other than myself.

[B Calm]

12. After getting out of the Navy

I worked two years at the Veterans hospital in Danville, Illinois. My encounters with veterans are quite different than yours.

Almost all enlisted men come from working class families and like myself were raised democratic. This bullshit propaganda from the right-wing is just that, propaganda!

[Brother Buzz]

4. Obama raised twice as much from military donors than Romney

That's a fact, Jack. How the military actually voted is another story.

[Kath1]

6. Don't know about the military vote

but I know a few military wives who were totallly against the Iraq war and still support Obama 100%!

[JI7]

10. i believe Obama won among those currently serving

[LaydeeBug]

11. How can we tell, or what indicators are there if asking about it is illegal? nt